Grab Philippines, together with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Social Security System (SSS), and Pag-IBIG Fund, announced the launch of Grab's Social Protection Program, where it registered around 1,000 driver-partners to various social welfare services of the government.

Grab said the Social Protection Program aims to help create a strong social safety net for Grab drivers and delivery-partners in the Philippines by supporting, educating, and connecting Grab partners to PhilHealth, SSS, and Pag-IBIG Fund.

"Grab is the first platform in the Philippines to roll out a robust, multi-agency social protection program for driver and delivery-partner welfare," said Grab Country Head Grace Vera Cruz. "This program is a result of months-long dialogue and discussion with various government agencies, and we encourage all of our delivery-partners to register to become members. We made SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG services available onsite in the Grab Partner Center in Marikina so that it will be easier for you to register."

Grab and its government agency partners launched the initiative during the Grab's Buwan ng Tagapaghatid Family Day Celebration at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.

Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, and SSS along with its corporate partners, educated Grab partners on the advantages of existing social protection systems, and its various benefits to the partners and their families.

Grab subsidized the first-month contribution of the first 1,000 Grab partners who signed up for the program.

"Malaking tulong sa amin ang subsidy ng Grab para sa paunang buwan na contribution para masimulan namin ang aming paghuhulog. Pero mas malaking tulong ang ginawa nila na ilapit kami sa SSS, Pag-IBIG at PhilHealth," said GrabCar Driver Gleen Bajamunde.

(For us, it is a big help that Grab provided a subsidy for our initial contribution, so we can start our monthly contributions. But what is even a bigger help is their initiative to bring us closer to the services of SSS, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth)

The social protection initiative has been piloted in Metro Manila and will be scaled to different Grab cities and communities across the Philippines.

"This partnership with Grab is towards SSS' goal to reach as many self-employed workers as possible, encouraging them to register as self-employed SSS members, pay the corresponding contributions, and of course, apply for benefits or loans when the need arises," said Carlo Villacorta, Department Manager of the Professional Sector Department and Acting Head of the Cooperatives and Informal Sector Department of SSS. "May this initiative by Grab inspire other companies to step-up and encourage their gig workers to become self-employed SSS members to avail government social protection programs."

Additionally, DOLE Undersecretary Ciriaco A. Lagunzad III emphasized the importance of social insurance and welfare coverage of Grab delivery riders and driver-partners.

"Inaanyayahan ko ang lahat ng driver-partners ng Grab na magsimula nang maghulog ng SSS, Pag-IBIG, at PhilHealth premiums. Maswerte tayo sa paunang tulong na binigay ni Grab para makapagsimula tayo sa ating buwanang contribution sa SSS, Pag-IBIG at PhilHealth. Alam natin na sa ngayon, na bumabalik ang dine in at unti-unti nang bumababa na ang demand sa food delivery. Sana ay mabigyan kayo ng pagkakataon na maka-serve sa pamamagitan ng motorcycle taxi para tao naman ang inyong mahatid."

(We are lucky that Grab shouldered our initial contribution, so we can finally start our monthly contributions to SSS, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth. We acknowledge that customers are slowly going back to dine in restaurants, and the demand for food delivery is slowly decreasing. I hope driver-partners would then be given the chance to serve as motorcycle taxis for passengers.)